Advertising device.



PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

A. A. WARREN.

ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 1030131, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 800,036. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905. A. A. WARREN.

ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 1330.31, 1904 V 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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APPLICATION I'ILED D110: 31, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed Decemb r 31,1904. Serial No. 239,193.

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED A. WARREN, a citizen of the United'States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to an improved advertising device adapted to be used as a showwindow attraction or to be located in any suitable public place.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a mechanical advertising device of a changing character which can be operated by any suitable means, such as an electric motor; to provide for the displaying of a number of different advertisements in successive order, each of which may beexhibited for a given length of time; to construct the exhibits so that they can be easily taken out, if desired, and others similar or differing in character substituted; further, to provide an apparatus which will attract attention by its repeated changes of advertisements and method of operation.

The mechanism comprising the device is inclosed in a suitable cabinet the design of which may be changed to suit. The advertisements are displayed on a series of curtains, which are constructed somewhat on the style of a window-shade and are adapted to be automatically run out and wound up in successive order in a manner to display each curtain long enough to be read.

With the above and other minor objects in view my invention resides and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts shown upon the accompanying sheets of drawings, forming a part of this specification, upon which similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and of which Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of my improved advertising device as seen when in operation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical crosssection taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, partially broken away, taken on line 2 2 and looking in the opposite direction from that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken at a right angle to Fig. 3 and illustrating a portion of the curtain-operating mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the holding-guide used in the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is a detached side view of one of the gears through which the curtain-rolls are operated and also the shoe connected with said gear forengaging the guide to hold the curtain when wound. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified form of construction for operating the curtains, as will later be more fully explained. Fig. 8 shows a detached end view of the modified construction shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a detail sectional elevation of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings, A indicates a cabinet inclosing the mechanism embodying my invention, and B an opening in the front of the cabinet, which may or may not be inclosed with glass, as preferred.

C indicates an extended base of the cabinet in which the motor L or other driving medium is preferably located.

A transverse shaft E is journaled in the upper-part of the cabinet and has secured thereto journal-plates F and F, forming a curtaincarrying frame which is designed to rotate with the shaft and support the curtain-rollers M. A gear G is secured to one end of the shaft E and meshes with and is driven through a pinion H, connected with and driven by a larger gear I, which in turn meshes with and is driven from a worm secured to a vertical shaft J and operated from a worm K on the spindle of the motor L. This train of mechanism serves to slowly rotate the gear Gr, its shaft E, and journal-plates in the direction'of the arrows shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to continuously revolve the rollers M around in a circle from front to rear. These rollers are each provided with a curtain N, which is of a length and width slightly greater than that of the opening B in the cabinet and serves as a back upon which the advertisement may be printed or applied and is further provided with a weight 0, attached to its lower end. These rollers M are designed to be rotated in the frame during a part of their revolution in a manner to successively wind the curtains, which are held wound and carried forward during a further movement of the frame, after which they are automatically released in a manner to allow the weight 0 to draw them down behind the opening in the cabinet, as indicated by the curtain N in Fig. 2.

The means for manipulating the curtains as stated will best be understood from Figs.

3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. of the drawings, and-, refer a semicircular rack R, secured to one side ofthe cabinet, and the shoe alternately engages a guide S, which is also of a circular formation, but not quite as long as the length of the rack. This rack R is located on the under side of the shaft E, while the guide S is located above it. serve to engage and enter the rack at R and are turned thereby with their revolving movement in a way to rotate the same and wind the curtains thereon. As designed the several curtains will be wound completely up by the time their respective pinions pass through the rack, and the face Q of the shoes will be disposedagainst the under face of the rack S in a manner to slide thereunder and hold the rollers against rotary movement during their travel over the top of the shaft and until the rollers have again been brought to the front of the cabinet. As the respective rollers near the front of the cabinet in their travel the shoes run out from under the guide, releasing the rollers and permitting the weight 0 to quickly draw the respective curtains down, rotating the roller, pinion, and shoe, all of which are obviously free to allow the curtain to drop to its full length, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. While displayed at full length, as above, the curtain is slowly moved down and backward until the teeth of its pinion engage the teeth of the rack at R, whereupon it again begins to wind. The next curtain in order is then released in the manner above indicated, whereupon it is dropped in front of the previous one. This form of operation may be obviously repeated for an indefinite period with the possibility of displaying each curtain for a given time, the length of which can be regulated in accordanee with the speed at which the motor is driven. It will further be apparent that the plates constituting the curtain-carrier may be constructed to accommodate any desired number of rollers and curtains, and, further, that the rollers can be easily taken out and replaced, so as to substitute different signs whenever desired. I also provide in connection with the foregoing mechanism an outside curtain T, which I will term a drop-curtain, and which I have designed more as an additional attraction than a necessary adjunct, and which may or may not be used in conjunction with the revolving and rotatable curtains, as desired. The operation of this drop-curtain is designed so that it will normally be up, but willquickly drop and as quickly raise, and may or may not contain upon its face advertising matter,

its function being more particularly to cover The pinions on the rollers from the rolls. This drop-curtain is connected and timed in a manner to drop just prior to the dropping of each of the curtains on the rollers and also to be quickly raised immediately after such curtain has descended, thus preventing the spectators from seeing just how the changes of advertisements are effected, and thereby increasing the interest in the device. The mechanism for manipulating this drop-curtain will probably be best understood from Figs. 1 and 3, and, referring first to Fig. 3, it will be seen the shaft E is connected by bevel-gears U with a shaft V, secured in bearings attached to the side of the cabinet and further connected by bevel-gears W with a short transverse shaft X, carrying a grooved camY, which, as illustrated in the drawings, is connected so as to make a complete rotation with each eighth of a turn of the shaft E. A rack-slide a, bearing a roll which engages the groove of the cam, is obviously thrown to and fro with each rotation of the cam and in turn is connected with the pinion Z2 upon a shaft carrying a drum 0, upon which the draw-string (Z is wound. This string is carried up through the inside of the cabinet, over the roll 6, and provided with branches which are connected to the bottom of the drop-cu rtain at proper distances apart in a manner to draw the same together upward with each pull or wind of the string upon the drum, which takes place quickly with the movement of the cam. By reason of the great pitch of the groove of the cam both the downward and upward movements are quickly effected and in practically the same length of time.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 I have shown a modified construction of the device for winding, holding, and releasing the curtain-rolls in the same order and manner obtained by the construction shown in the preceding views, and consequently I do not wish to be limited to the details of either construction. The curtain-rollers M shown in the modified construction are journaled in the plates F and F, as is the ease in the preferred construction, and are also each provided with a pinion P, mounted upon the shafts of the rollers. These shafts are further provided with a shoe f, with which a spring g, attached to the lug n of the plate F, engages. This spring has a free end i for engagement with the projection 3', extending out from the cabinet in the path of the travel of the free ends of the spring in a way to beengaged thereby and disengaged from the flat side of the shoe f of the shaft, as shown at f, Fig. 8. The construction for winding the curtain-rollers constitutes a worm 71:, mounted upon a shaft and connected by gears Z with a second shaft 122, which in turn can be connected and operated in any desired manner-as, for instance, from the motor previously referred to. The operation of this modified construction 5 the change of the inner curtains suspended 2 so far as effect is concerned is identical with that of the construction shown in the previous figures and is as follows: The worm-gear 7c is run continuously and engages the pinions on the respective rollers as they are brought into contact with said worm during their revolving movement, and said pinions are rotated thereby during their travel through the worm. This rotation of each roller is sufficient to wind the curtain, leaving the flat side of the shoe disposed against the face of the spring 9, whereby it is frictionally held after the gear becomes disengaged from the worm. These curtains remain rolled until they travel over forward and their spring 9 comes in contact with the projection j, which forces said spring away from the shoe on the shaft in a manner to release the shoe, allowing the Weight Q upon the curtain to quickly draw it down, as is the case with the other construction. This curtain remains down at full length during the further movement of the roller and until its pinion is engaged by the worm before described. The rollers are obviously successively released as they reach the farthest front position in the cabinet, when the curtain is dropped down before the opening, as is desired.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotary frame, of a series of curtains mounted on rotatable rollers, weights attached to the curtains to normally hold them down, means to successively engage the rollers to wind the curtains, mechanism for holding them in such wound position and a device for releasing the respective rollers when in the proper position to permit the weight to unwind the curtain.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and re volving curtain-rollers with curtains mounted thereon, of a gear mounted upon each roller, mechanism for engaging the gear to-wind the curtain, means for holding the curtain in such wound positionduring a portion of its revolution, a device-for releasing said rolls and a weight attached to the curtain for unwinding the same when so released.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtain-rollers with curtains mounted thereon, of means for successively engaging the same to wind them up as they revolve, means permanently attached to the curtains to unwind the same and normally hold them out at full length, and devices to permit of the unwinding of the respective curtains at the proper instant.

4c. In an advertising device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtain-rollers having curtains attached thereto, of weights for normally holding said curtains down at full length,

means for winding the curtains up during their revolving movement and a device for releasing such curtains at the proper moment to permit the weights to draw the curtains down.

5. In an advertising device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtains, of weights adapted to normally hold the curtains disposed at full length, a pinion connected with each curtain means for successively engaging such pinions to wind the same as they revolve and a device for automatically releasing such wound curtains to allow them to run down by the action of their weights.

6. In an advertising device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving rollers and curtains mounted thereon, of a weight attached to each of said curtains and adapted to normally hold them down, pinions mounted upon the curtain-rollers, means to engage the pinions and wind the curtains, shoes attached to the pinions, means to engage the shoes and hold the curtains Wound, and a device to release such engagement at the proper instant to allow the curtains to drop.

7. In an advertising device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtains, of means for rolling up the same, shoes carried by the curtains, a device to engage theshoes to hold the curtains in a wound position and means for disengaging the shoes to release the curtains and permit them to unwind.

8. The combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtain-rollers, having curtains attached and bearing pinions, of means to engage the pinions and rotate the same during the revolving of the curtain-rollers, shoes carried by each of the rollers, a guide to engage the shoes and hold the curtains, and weights to draw the curtains out when released from the guide.

9. The combination with aseries of revolving and rotatable curtain-rollers bearing curtains, of a pinion on each roller, shoes connected to the rollers, a toothed rack adapted to be engaged by the pinions during their revolution in a manner to wind up the curtains, means to engage the shoe of each curtain-roller and hold the same in position and means for releasing the curtain-rollers to permit them todrop.

' 10. The combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtain-rollers, each bearing a curtain, a pinion and shoe attached thereto, of a rack to engage the pinions during their revolution, a guide to engage the shoes in a manner to hold the curtain-rollers in a wound position, means for releasing said curtainrollers and-weights upon each curtain to cause it to unwind when so released.

11. In an advertising device the combination with a series of rotatable and revolving curtains, with means for automatically and successively displaying said curtains at full length, of a drop-curtain and mechanism for quickly lowering and raising the same in front of the respective, rotatable and revolving curtains.

12. In an advertising device of the class described, the combination With a series of rotatable and revolving curtains with means for automatically and successively displayingthe same at full length, of a drop-curtain adapted to drop just prior to the displaying of each of the revolving curtains and means for automatically and quickly raising such drop-curtain immediately after each of the revolving curtains has been displayed.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 30th day of December, A. D. 1904.

ALFRED A. WARREN.

Witnesses:

C. M. NEWMAN, RUTH RAYMOND. 

